IN THE LAND OF BRUNELLO

Learn all about one of Italy’s most prestigious wines on this full-day escape to the countryside from Siena. Your private chauffeur will meet you outside your accommodation and drive you to the UNESCO-listed Orcia Valley, boasting breathtaking landscapes, enticing cuisine, top-class wine and remarkably well preserved medieval and Renaissance towns.

Wine enthusiasts will find out how Brunello is made at an estate located west of Montalcino. The land belongs to an illustrious Florentine family that has been producing wine for some seven hundred years. The family owns six estates and some of Tuscany’s most highly regarded vineyards and aims to become the reference producer of fine Tuscan wines. Indeed, among their core values is the promotion of the region’s different traditions and territories by producing high quality wines, each an expression of a specific, unique terroir and environment. Accompanied by a member of staff, you will enjoy a tour of the cellars and discover the different stages in the wine-making process, from the moment of harvest to the choice of the image on their wine label, featuring a condottiero on horseback. You will also get to know the strict regulations that define the production of Brunello which must contain 100% Sangiovese grapes and be aged in oak barrels for two years and at least four months in a bottle before being released. But every estate has its own precious formulas which you will have the chance to unravel and applaud! After the visit sit down to a delicious light lunch made with locally sourced products and washed down with a selection of first rate wines.

Later, drive to the charming town of Montalcino, internationally known as the capital of the Brunello wine region. Sitting strategically about 560 metres above sea level, on a hill overlooking the Orcia and Asso Valleys, Montalcino was once an influential Etruscan settlement. The town has undergone few changes since the 1300s, when it was a stronghold belonging to the city of Siena. Protected by fortified walls, Montalcino has indeed maintained its medieval appearance and offers splendid views of the surrounding landscape from the top of its imposing 14th century fortress: hills crossed by country roads winding though vineyards and olive groves, a canvas splashed with golden sunflowers and deep green cypress trees. Enjoy a leisurely stroll through the town’s narrow alleys lined with wineries, craft shops and cafes and linger in the distinctive medieval aura of the quaint Piazza del Popolo before setting off for your next stop.

Time seems to have come to a standstill in Pienza. Conceived as a model city, this is the best-preserved Renaissance town in Tuscany. Pienza, meaning the city of Pius, was founded by Pope Pius II who wanted to transform his lacklustre place of birth into the perfect embodiment of Renaissance values. He commissioned architect Bernardo Rossellino with the task of building a town in accordance with humanist planning principles. The result is a harmonious 15th century urban centre which is still surprisingly intact. Make your way through the olde worlde streets to the small but perfectly proportioned Piazza Pio II, the heart of Pienza’s religious and political life for almost six hundred years. Here you will admire the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the elegant palazzi that together make up one of the finest corners of Tuscany. A walk along Via dell’Amore – Lovers’ street – and Via del Bacio – Kiss street – will make you fall head over heels for Pienza. You might also be interested to know that the town holds the title of the capital of pecorino. Stop to refuel with a bite or two of this flavoursome cheese then rejoin your driver and ride in comfort, through the magnificent Tuscan landscape, back to your accommodation in Siena.